Kerala: Social media campaigner for CPM held in gold smuggling case

Arjun's arrest may come as a major embarrassment for the CPI(M), as the probe appears to lead to a few other CPI(M) and DYFI leaders in Kannur.

Arjun Ayanki is very active on social media as a CPI(M) campaigner and had earlier held the post of unit secretary of the DYFI, the youth wing of CPI(M), in his native Kannur. (Facebook)

The Customs department on Monday arrested CPI(M) social media campaigner Arjun Ayanki, also a former Kannur unit secretary of the party’s youth wing DYFI, for alleged connection with the smuggling of 2.23 kg gold from Dubai to Kozhikode.

Last Monday, five men, allegedly hired by smugglers, had died in an accident after an aborted bid to loot the smuggled gold, police had said.

Arjun, who allegedly maintained close links with the smuggling racket, had allegedly gone to Kozhikode airport to receive the smuggled gold from a passenger, who was nabbed by the Customs on arrival.

Story continues below this ad

Arjun’s arrest may come as a major embarrassment for the CPI(M), as the probe appears to lead to a few other CPI(M) and DYFI leaders in Kannur. The car used by Arjun was allegedly owned by DYFI leader, C Sajesh, who is incidentally a gold assayer with a CPI(M)-controlled cooperative bank.

The role of another sacked DYFI leader, Sreejesh Das, is under investigation.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Kerala gold smuggling case

Loading Taboola...

H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear?

Explained1 hr ago

The White House's decision to impose a $100,000 entry fee on H-1B visa holders has sparked worry among Indian tech workers and students. While uncertainties remain about its implementation and exemptions, major tech companies have cautioned employees against traveling. The policy could lead to a shift towards other visa categories and potentially change the STEM immigration pipeline.

View all shorts

Live Blog